Review: J.Crew Petite Schoolboy Blazer in Wool Flannel

Blazers have proven to be a dynamic part of my wardrobe, so my current mission is to build my blazer options. I have the basic black and white, dressy tweed, and even summer-weight seersucker, but I’m on the hunt for more interesting colors, and my favorite neutral of all…grey. Because I know I’ll get a lot of wear out of these blazers, I’m willing to splurge on ones I really love, and looking for interesting details and nice fabrics.

I keep waiting for Theory to come out with some nice blazers, since their size 00 has the potential to fit me right off the rack, or with minimal alterations. Sadly, Theory hasn’t read my mind, and their current blazer offerings are quite boring. Here enters J.Crew.

Just look at those details! I’m completely smitten with those buttons, and adore the inside ticket and lipstick pockets. Fully lined, reinforced buttons, and working sleeve buttons are other great details. There’s even a chest pocket for pocket squares (he he). The fabric is a thin and soft wool flannel, which is perfect for most seasons here in Southern California.

Here’s the fit of size petite 00 off the rack:

Boxy and unflattering, this jacket would need some alterations. Luckily the shoulder is a good fit and the sleeve length is spot on, but the jacket still needs the torso slimmed, and I would like to see the sleeves slimmer as well. Slimming a jacket isn’t a deal breaker for me…but there is this one thing…

See how that side seam runs under the pocket? That’s a problem. That means the jacket can’t just be easily slimmed down the seam. The pocket is in the way. In my last post, commenter Jasmin had this same style of jacket altered, and here’s what she had to say:

Because the blazer was on final sale and non returnable I decided to pay for alterations and had the waist and shoulders taken in by my tailor. I love the fit of this little blazer now after alterations, but the alterations were really expensive (100$) because the blazer is fully lined and the little pockets on the blazer are placed in such a way on top of the seams that my tailor had to remove them first before slimming the sides and sew them back on later.

Hmmm…now I’m in a pickle. This little blazer has a lot of potential, but will cost quite a bit to unleash it. Here’s a rundown:

Pros:

– Style, fabric, color and details I’ve been searching for.
– Petite sizing, so the proportions are right for my height.
– I love it and it would get a lot of wear.

Cons:

– Needs to have torso and sleeves slimmed.
– Fully lined and odd side seam placement makes alterations costly.
– Still full price.

This blazer retails for $188, and with the added cost of alterations (I’m going to guess a cost of $100), I’m looking at about a $300 blazer. However, this is cheaper than a full price Theory jacket.

I have 60 days to return this blazer for a full refund, so you can bet I’ll be watching and waiting to see if any discounts on this blazer pop up. Of course, small sizes are always the first to go come sale time, so I’d be surprised to snatch this jacket in this size at a good discount.

A lot of people expressed interest in the houndstooth version of this jacket. That one does not come in petite sizes, so expect an all around bigger fit than the jacket I’m wearing in this post. That one is pretty much off the table for me, since it would need not only the torso and sleeves slimmed, but probably the shoulder and sleeves taken in as well. Not to mention might be too long.

What do you think? Invest in the costly alterations, or continue the search that may never end?

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44 Comments

Those clips make nice accent accessories. Surprised me! haha. I also love those inside pocket details. So cute! Is it really a “lipstick pocket?” haha. To invest or keep searching.. if it’s in your budget then keep it. Otherwise keep searching and I hope you do find that fitting Theory jacket.

Thanks for your thoughts Stephanie! I’ve heard that mini inside pocket called a “lipstick pocket”, as well as a “cigarette pocket”. I’m sure there are other names for it as well, but those are the only ones I know. :)

Gosh this is hard! I love grey too and this is a beautiful jacket. As you will need to spend more $$$ I would return, watch it like a hawk for it to come and sale and buy it then. In the meantime keep searching.
I recently discovered Theory in UK and have their grey wool jacket which I LOVE. I think they have a strong chance of bringing out a blazer version so hang in there!

By the way, going off topic slightly, this reminds me to ask all the Petites, do you rate Jesire? I have a few peieces from them (leather jacket, wool jacket, dresses, skirts) and they so petite friendly. The quality is great too at a really good price.

That’s really weird re Jesire because they have US sizing so presumed it’s a US brand? Not sure if they have stand alone stores in UK, they definately have concessions in major department stores.
It’s very J. Crew as well.
CC

$300+ for J Crew? I would vote return it! Have you checked Banana Republic Factory store? I’m not sure they have size 00 (and size 0 fits ME…) but it might be worth checking. Their blazers are a little less pricey to begin with but (imho) don’t look cheap. I got a black one yesterday for just $77, so there’s some wiggle room in case you need a lot done to it.

The details are beautiful and it’s definitely your style. But I’m leaning towards nay on keeping it. If the blazer were to end up costing you about $300 in total, I suppose your cost per wear could eventually make it worth it. But $300 for a blazer is hefty no matter how you look at it. Plus, there is no guarantee that you’ll be 100% happy with how the alterations may turn out. I say hold out for another blazer. J.Crew or some place similar is bound to come out with an equally gorgeous blazer that doesn’t have the pocket over the seam.

I’d have to say return it. I know I’d be hard-pressed to get $300+ worth of wear of it, but you might; you’re definitely more of a blazer person than I am! I must say though it looks great with your hair-clip alterations! :-)

Thanks for the review! I say keep it and get it altered! No telling when Theory is going to offer new designs, and all told by the end of the alteration you’d have a perfect jacket at a cost less than a full-priced Theory blazer. And probably in a few days too.

BTW is there a smaller pocket on the inside? I’m just curious because in your picture of the inside pocket it looks like there’s a mini pocket underneath the bigger one.

I like what you are thinking…see if you can get a better deal. I say hold on to it until the last moment possible, and if you are still wanting it for full price + alterations, like you said, it will run you less than a Theory jacket.

Yup, I think I’m gonna go this route. Sweat it out for the 60 days I have the blazer and hope it goes on sale. If my size is still there, re-buy it, and return the full-priced one! If at the end of the 60 days, I’m still drooling over the blazer…I might just suck it up and get it tailored. :P

Thanks for this detailed review! For me, full-priced plus $100 is a definite no for J.Crew, BUT you did get the Theory Gratian blazer close to full price and you’ve given it a ton of wear. Unlike the Gratian though, is there a risk of this completely selling out in 00P and never coming back? I’d wait for a sale (remember J.Crew went sale crazy last Winter?) and then try to find a tailor other than the costly Franscoi (did I botch that?).

That’s my hope. I’m hoping the jacket will make it to a good sale price, and then I can justify the alterations cost. I’d even make it a point to use the costly Francois, because that man knows his menswear, and I know he’d do a good job on the alteration. Some things, I won’t skimp on. Alterations is one of them. :P

That’s my hope. I’m hoping the jacket will make it to a good sale price, and then I can justify the alterations cost. I’d even make it a point to use the costly Francois, because that man knows his menswear, and I know he’d do a good job on the alteration. Some things, I won’t skimp on. Alterations is one of them. :P

what a toughie! I’m always so impressed w/J.Crew’s quality. Hard to find elsewhere, unless it’s Theory. If you believe Francois can really do the job, I say go for it! Otherwise, I think if you wanted, you can hunt for this on sale. We can all help you.

I was going to offer sending you the grey Aritzia blazer, but it’s $140 with crazy Ontario taxes, plus shipping. I can’t speak to the quality compared to J Crew or Theory, but i know PAG recently purchased the longer version – perhaps she could chime in?

It has the chest pocket and similar button detailing, but no lipstick pocket. The pockets of the shorter version also lie on the jacket seams like your J Crew, so if you needed to alter it, it would be just as costly. However, the Talula one is slimmer all around, so I doubt you’d need slimming, and I can see the torso fitting very well on you. The sleeves are a bit too long for me (a couple inches), so take that into account. (Has buttons on sleeves – more costly to alter).

Of course, it’s always a bit of a risk buying something you’ve never tried before, but it is another option. If you choose to go this route, I’d try to track down an American with an Aritzia nearby to save on taxes and shipping.

Funny you should suggest the Talula blazer because I was just thinking about trying to track it down! It looked really fitted on you, which gives me hope it would fit me too. There are a few stores in the US, so maybe I’ll get lucky. :)

I found more photos of the grey colour of the Talula one, just for reference – and it is indeed a bit darker than the J. Crew. The photos are of the longer, boyfriend style, but the fabric of the shorter version should be the same.

The short blazer in grey is next on my wishlist – I was debating between the black and grey, but settled on black because it was more interview-appropriate, though I do love the grey more. The underside of the collar of these blazers tend to be a different colour – I believe the grey has a black or navy under-collar, for some extra flair in case you wish to pop your collar for whatever reason.

Hi Zlata! These are Paige Blue Heights jeans in size 23. I had these sitting in a box FOREVER waiting to get hemmed. They’re a super dark navy, but look black in these photos. The leg opening is about 6″ laying flat, so about 12″ around.

Just go for the full priced Theory jacket – it’s a piece well worth the money! I picked up this very same blazer two days ago (in camel) and was absolutely appalled at the shoddy quality and poor material. The wool is so very thin and of bad quality, and the lining seems like an afterthought. It went right back on the rack. This jacket also runs TTL – I’m a 4 in blazers but this one was too large in a 2.

Don’t spend $300 on a $40 jacket (its real worth)! Just pay for Theory and be done with all the heartache you may endure should the tailor botch the job or the final result not come out properly.

Thank you for your thoughts Anna! I’m still patiently waiting for Theory to come out with some fun fall blazers. Their current ones are so boring! Bleh!

I didn’t think the blazer was bad quality at all, although that could be because I’ve been desperately trying to find blazers anywhere…like H&M…which are horrifically bad compared to this little J.Crew guy. LOL. You definitely gave me more to think about. :)

This is just me… but I wouldn’t pay $300+ for that jacket. Even with alterations, it may not fit perfectly the way a Theory blazer would. You can get something straight off the Theory rack that works better. And that color (a) isn’t that hard to find and (b) isn’t the most flattering color on you. (Or me—I have a similar complexion. Gray works better on the bottom half but washes me out if near my face. Darker or brighter shades are better.)

To weigh all sides, I think you would wear that blazer more than I would, and the fabric does look pretty, cozy, and soft. The buttons are cute too. But I would hold out for something I really love right off and requires more minor alterations. Sounds like you have the right idea to wait for a sale. Hopefully that will strike soon—I have a few JCrew pieces that I have my eyes on!

I know this is only one detail, but I’m sure you could DIY some cute buttons on any blazer if you can’t find the perfect combination of details again. Joanns and Michaels always have cute buttons, and I’ve definitely seen some in that particular style!

That’s a great point Alyssa! I did that a while back with a little Banana Republic jacket that had horribly ugly buttons. That would definitely open my options up a little more. Thanks for the suggestion!

That’s a toughie Kelly! I forget how tiny you are sometimes! I would pass, wait for the sale, and cross my fingers hoping that it’s still available. Remember that Cut25 jacket that I tweeted you about? The one with elbow patches? I went a little stalker-ish on Saks and did an online chat with a sale associate. She said a size 0 should fit our XXS frames. Yea right whatever!!! But I couldn’t stop thinking about it! I just ordered it yesterday and will report back on the fit next week.

Man, too bad about the fit! Honestly I think I would return, unless it went down to a MAJOR discount but then $100 in alterations is still a lot and you’re not even guaranteed that it will come out the way you want it!

Thanks for providing the measurements, I tried to call J.Crew yesterday and the service rep could not provide the petite sleeve measurement. Right now there is a 25% off STARWARM promo, so even if I did try to get some alterations done ( due to the boxiness) I think the discount helps out with the overall cost. I am 5’2 – 95lbs, with a short torso and long arms, thus your measurements have really helped. MUCH appreciated.

By the way, those who are thinking of getting the current iteration of the Schoolboy blazer – it’s marked down to $178 plus 30% off of sale price with code NEWSALE through 3/30. I picked a black one up for about $125. Not sure if it will fit (will prob need some alterations seeing it here on Kelly) but worth a try since blazers are so hard to find.

Fashionistas need to read the book” Overdressed”, about the high cost of our cheap clothes to American manufacturers and designers and to the environment. (Your jacket obviously is not and I just scored a navy Schoolboy Blazer at a local thrift shop for $23.00). Her point is fewer items at higher quality and being willing to pay for real quality and the alterations to make them perfect.. At Thrift Shops we have an advantage of fewer items, higher quality, and great prices!! One of her main points is altering the garments we buy to really fit! I’m going to have the sleeves of my (first edition) schoolboy blazer shortened, hopefully from the shoulder so I can conserve the 3 operational buttons on the cuff.I so agree that professional alterations can make all the difference in the quality of our clothes, and how often we will wear them.